Loose leaf ring binder

ABSTRACT

A loose leaf ring-type binder which also functions as a rigid viewing stand for a plurality of pages or flipover cards. The two covers of the binder include offset leg portions terminating at the hinge points with the back of the binder. When the covers are folded back at a certain angle, the leg portions of the covers are brought into juxtaposed contact with the back of the binder thereby restricting any movement of the back about the two hinge points to provide a rigid support for the cards carried in the binder.

0 United States Patent [151 3,638,967 Mullins Feb. 1, 1972 [54] LOOSELEAF RING BINDER 2,523,202 9/1950 Ericson ..28l/33 2,613,956 l0/l952Ericson ..28l/33 [72] 2,617,665 11/1952 Ericson ..28l/33 [73] Assignee:Sanderson Films, Inc., Denver, Colo.

Primary Examiner--Jerome Schnall [22] led: 1970 Attorney-Miller& Brown[21] Appl. No.: 80,287

[57] ABSTRACT [52] us CL" "281/33 A loose leaf ring-type binder whichalso functions as a rigid [51] Int. Cl ..B42d 3/18 viewing stand for aplurality of Pages or flipover cards The l 58] dd of Search 281/33 29 3640/102 two covers of the binder include offset leg portions terminat-4O/IO4JO 10418. 402/74 ing at the hinge points with the back of thebinder. When the covers are folded back at a certain angle, the legportions of the covers are brought into juxtaposed contact with the back[56] References cued of the binder thereby restricting any movement ofthe back about the two hinge points to provide a rigid support for theUNlTED STATES PATENTS cards carried in the binder.

764,765 7/1904 Rand ..402/74 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB 11972 AUTOQA/EY LOOSE LEAF RING BINDER point for-each cover. When thecovers are folded back at an acute angle towards each other, the binderback or rings are very unstable and are free to move back and forth dueto the double-hinge points. For this reason a conventional ring I binderisnot used as a stand unless there is some way to hold each of thecoverscompletely rigid with respect to the binder back.

The present invention alleviates this unstable problem by the additionof an offset leg portion on each cover. When the covers are folded backat a certain angle, the leg portion comes in contact with the binderback preventing any additional pivotal movement of the cover about thebinder back.

In a conventional ring binder the binder back is essentially the samewidth as the rings. When the covers are folded back, the cards inthe'binder will not lie flush with the covers due to their contact withthe binder back. With the present invention this problem is avoidedsince the offset leg portion allows the use of rings that aresubstantially wider than the binder back.

Due to this overhang of the larger rings, the cards lie flush with thecovers.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to providea loose leaf ring binder readily adaptable to a rigid viewing stand forthe material contained in the binder.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide a viewing standcontaining a series of graphic illustrations which can be used inconjunction-with a tape recorder in an audiovisual teaching course.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent whenthe following description is read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loose leaf binder positioned as aviewing stand on top of a tape recorder shown in dotted line;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of the binder in the closed position withportions of the cover and cards broken away; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view similar to FIG. 2 with the binderpositioned as a viewing stand.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of theinvention and more specifically to FIG. 1, a loose leaf binder utilizedas a viewing stand is generally identified by reference numeral 10. Thebinder is positioned on a base 12, with its two covers 11 and 13 foldedback, acting as supporting legs.'The base 12, which is in the presentillustration a tape recorder, carries .a pair of mounting flanges 14which engage the flanges 15 and 17 on the free edge of the covers 11.and 13. Any type of holding means could be used which would restrainthe covers from outward movement. The tape recorder 12 isused inconjunction with the graphic illustrations on the cards 16 which areflipped as the tape progresses, to provide an audiovisual teachingcourse. The binder, by itself, has numerous applications as a teachingaid.

The binder 10 is a conventional ring type, having a plurality ofsplitrings 18 attached to a binder back 22 through rivots 24 and a metal base'20, as seen in FIG. 2. The rings 18 can be snapped open to insert orremove the illustrative cards 16.

Connected to the binder back 22, are a pair of covers 11 and 13. Eachcover has an offset leg portion 28 which terminates at a hinge point 32.The hinge points 32 in the present illustration are actually reducedthickness portions of the plastic cover which freely flexes back andforth as a hinge. The leg portions are offsetfrom the covers at an acuteangle B.

' When the binder 10 is closed, as seen in FIG. 2, the leg portions 28lie substantially parallel with the binder back 22. Due to the presenceof the offset portions 28, the binder back 22 can be narrower than therings 18, an advantage which will be described hereafter. When thebinder 10 is not in use as a stand, the covers 11 and 13 function as anyconventional loose leaf ring binder.

When the binder 10 is used as a stand, as shown in detail in FIG. 3, thecovers 11 and 13 are folded back until the leg portions 28 come incontact with the binder back 22. In this position there canbe nopivoting movement of the ring portions of the binder since both hingepoints 32 are essentially locked. With the conventional binder, thebinder back and rings 18 will flop back and forth, due to the two hingepoints, as the cards 16 are moved from one side of the binder to theother. The angle B between the planar portion of cover 13 and its legportion 28 can vary depending on the angle A that is desired between thetwo covers 11 and 13. The angle A can be slightly less than the positionwhere the leg portions 28 touch the binder back 22, to provide a bendingmovement on the binder back to render the stand more rigid. The bindercovers and binder back in the present illustration are molded from asingle piece of semirigid plastic. The covers and binder back could beseparate members joined by a conventional hinge.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cards 16 lie substantially parallelin contacting relation with the covers 11 and 13. If the rings 18 didnot have a diameter greater than the width of the binder back 22, thiswould not be possible with the covers folded back. This problem wouldnot exist in a conventional binder with flexible paper pages, since theywould bend around the binder back and lie against the covers.

It is understood that variations from the form of this inventiondisclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention and that the drawings and specification are to beconsidered as merely illustrative.

What is claimed is:

l. A loose leaf ring binder for containing and supporting a plurality ofcards comprising:

a binder back;

ring means attached to the binder back for supporting the cards;

cover means hingeably attached to opposite sides of the binder back; thecover means including on each side, a planar portion substantiallycovering the material contained in the binder, and a leg portionextending from the planar portions at an acute angle to the hinge pointwith the binder back,

said acute angle being such that when the cover means are folded backtowards each other at a second angle, the leg portions come intojuxtaposed parallel contact with the binder back preventing any pivotalmovement between the binder back and the cover means, whereby a rigidsupport is provided for the cards when the planar portions are held atsaid second angle.

2. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the leg portionsof he cover means extend a distance from the planar portions no greaterthan one-half the width of the binder book.

3. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim I, wherein the ring meansis wider than the binder back.

4. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ring meanshas a width at least twice that of the binder back.

5. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ring meanshas a width at least twice that of the binder back, and the leg portionsof the cover means extend a distance from the planar portions no greaterthan one-half the width of the binder back.

6. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, including mounting meansattached to each of the planar portions which can be engaged with arigid base member so that said second angle between the cover means ismaintained.

7. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim I, wherein the planarportions of the cover means have an outer edge at the opposite side fromthe leg portions; mounting means attached along the outer edge of eachplanar portion which can releasably engage a base member therebymaintaining a fixed distance between the two outer edges of the covermeans.

8. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, including mounting meansreleasably attached to each of the planar portions for maintaining saidsecond angle between the cover means.

9. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the 5 binderback and cover means are integrally formed from a semiflexible plasticmaterial.

1. A loose leaf ring binder for containing and supporting a plurality ofcards comprising: a binder back; ring means attached to the binder backfor supporting the cards; cover means hingeably attached to oppositesides of the binder back; the cover means including on each side, aplanar portion substantially covering the material contained in thebinder, and a leg portion extending from the planar portions at an acuteangle to the hinge point with the binder back, said acute angle beingsuch that when the cover means are folded back towards each other at asecond angle, the leg portions come into juxtaposed parallel contactwith the binder back preventing any pivotal movement between the binderback and the cover means, whereby a rigid support is provided for thecards when the planar portions are held at said second angle.
 2. A looseleaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the leg portions of hecover means extend a distance from the planar portions no greater thanone-half the width of the bindEr book.
 3. A loose leaf binder as setforth in claim 1, wherein the ring means is wider than the binder back.4. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ring meanshas a width at least twice that of the binder back.
 5. A loose leafbinder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ring means has a width atleast twice that of the binder back, and the leg portions of the covermeans extend a distance from the planar portions no greater thanone-half the width of the binder back.
 6. A loose leaf binder as setforth in claim 1, including mounting means attached to each of theplanar portions which can be engaged with a rigid base member so thatsaid second angle between the cover means is maintained.
 7. A loose leafbinder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the planar portions of the covermeans have an outer edge at the opposite side from the leg portions;mounting means attached along the outer edge of each planar portionwhich can releasably engage a base member thereby maintaining a fixeddistance between the two outer edges of the cover means.
 8. A loose leafbinder as set forth in claim 1, including mounting means releasablyattached to each of the planar portions for maintaining said secondangle between the cover means.
 9. A loose leaf binder as set forth inclaim 1, wherein the binder back and cover means are integrally formedfrom a semiflexible plastic material.